When Time Turners Go Haywire
by theschuesters
Summary: Tonks accidentally gets her hands on a Black family's Time-Turner and the next thing she knows she's out somewhere... in the past, or in the future? Will she ever get out of this mess, not knowing the Black Time-Turner's Dark capabilites? RLNT. AU.
1. Dead, Doxy, Explode

**A/N**: Hi, girls and boys! Thank you for stopping by and reading this story of mine! (I have no idea why I'm so hyped up) Well, this is another one of my LupinTonks fanfics, and I'm trying to keep this as fluffy and light as possible (the chapters are just naturally short because if I put too much detail it tends to get too deep and dramatic). I hope I'll be able to achieve it here. Have fun!

**When Time-Turners Go Haywire**

_A__n RLNT fanfic, slightly AU _

1: Dead, Doxy, Explode

XxX

Nymphadora Tonks sat on the drawing room floor, sulking. Molly Weasley had assigned her to 'clean' the remaining drawers in the said room, for Molly, along with Arthur Weasley, Mad-Eye Moody and Remus Lupin will be accompanying the remaining Weasley children, Hermione and Harry back to Hogwarts. The only person residing in the house aside from her was Sirius Black, who was up in his mother's bedroom feeding Buckbeak the hippogriff.

"I wish it wasn't my day off at the Ministry today," Tonks sighed, but she stood up and made her way towards the drawers Molly had been talking about anyway. She opened the first drawer, and seeing it had been cleaned she assumed the remaining two drawers were cleaned up as well.

_Maybe Molly just wanted me to double-check and not really clean it… _

Tonks proceeded to opening the second drawer; it was empty and clean too, like the first one.

_Great, just one more drawer to go and I'm done!__ I can't believe Molly's asking me to clean up-- I don't even have time to tidy up my bedroom! _

But as Tonks took hold of the third drawer's handle and pulled, she frowned, seeing as it was not empty. Instead, it was a pile of mess that definitely needed sorting out. "Dammit." So she began by picking up the scattered pieces of papers and a book and burnt it, Vanished bits of doxy droppings (probably left by Fred and George), and was about to make a dead doxy explode when a sudden golden glimmer from the clutter in the drawer caught her eye.

"What the…" Tonks slowly picked up a dusty golden chain, and as she held it up in front of her she saw a small, dirty hourglass dangling from it. "A Time-Turner?" she mused. Just when she thought Grimmauld Place was free of ancient family heirlooms, here she was, holding a fragile Time-Turner with the Black family crest embossed on the hourglass itself. Urged by her curious nature, however, Tonks wore the golden chain around her neck and examined it on a closer range; it was a beautiful, genuine necklace, if only it wasn't covered in dust and wasn't a Black family possession. She traced the hourglass gently with her fingers, when--

"Tonks!" Sirius yelled from four floors above. "You still there?" His voice was too loud and it caught Tonks off guard. The hourglass slipped through her fingers and it spun quickly way too many times, before she caught it in her now trembling hands.

Sirius never got a reply from Tonks.

For at that moment, when the hourglass had stopped spinning, Tonks had disappeared in thin air without a trace, lost in time and space.

_To Be Continued…_

XxX

**A/N:** I hope I was able to make the last part a bit hanging and suspenseful. Of course, so you'll read my second chapter, which is fresh from my brain and ready to serve once I receive your reviews. Yes, I do hope you review because I love hearing what you think about my ideas, whether it be to praise me or not.

My summer's almost up, so I don't think I'll be able to update my stories (and post new ones) for a while after this. I'll get the feel of the new school year before skiving back to do more fanfiction stories (haha). Toodles, y'all!

Review, 'kay? I promise more surprises in the next chapters (which, hopefully, would surprise you guys….)


	2. Make A Sound

**A/N:** Hello, dear readers… read this please, it's _urgent_. This is concerning what I said in the Author's Note in the first chapter about this fic being fluffy and light…. I've had a sudden change of heart (last minute, mind) and decided to add a bit of hurt and angst-- in this chapter at least. For those who were expecting something cute to happen between Remus and Tonks… well, I think I'll save those for later (if you'll care to hang on to this fic for a long time) because I'm feeling a bit angst-y at the moment. I just wanted to inform you, so you wouldn't think I wasn't being true to my word, ha ha.

Oh, and by the way, to hell with Chemistry.

**When Time-Turners Go Haywire**

_A__n RLNT fanfic, AU _

2: Make A Sound

XxX

Tonks seemed to be floating for her feet weren't touching the ground-- but there was no ground, to begin with. She had closed her eyes the moment she felt herself disappear from Grimmauld Place's drawing room, for a sudden flash of white light had emanated from the Time-Turner, blinding her, and it had been because of this that she hadn't been able to witness what had transpired (and was transpiring) around her.

A whirlwind of colours and blurred images seemed to be swimming around Tonks, the wind coming from nowhere whipping through her hair. She was being pulled away, away from the present, and she seemed to be gravitating towards the past-- or rather, gravitating _back to_ the past. Tonks didn't dare open an eyelid as the cold air blew at her or as she felt movement in her midst, just in case she felt a sudden urge to vomit, and just clutched the hourglass and the dusty golden chain, swearing. But just as she thought that the trip was never going to end and that she was most unlikely to get back home, a force so strong (and it seemed to come from the Time-Turner itself) steadied her and Tonks felt solid ground support her weight once again; the mixture of pictures and colours surrounding her had disappeared at the same moment too.

All pressure and relentless floating gone, Tonks fell helplessly on the ground, her face hitting the soft grass.

"Oh, damn… this is not good…." Tonks muttered as she sat up groggily in the dimly lit area she had landed upon, wiping her face with the back of her hand. And looking around to observe this new environment, Tonks saw that she had landed on someone's neatly-mowed lawn, just a few feet from a tall, large tree; there had been a tree house built on the sturdy branches of the said tree, Tonks noticed. Ten feet from Tonks stood was a two-story home, with all its lights lit (making it have an inviting feel), and a black banner displayed on the front porch with neon orange words painted on it: _Happy Halloween!_

Tonks tried to look beyond the thin curtains draped on the windows, but saw no one, not even a shadow. Apparently the people who lived here had no nearby neighbours for no other house was around until the next six blocks. There were distant voices on the street, and it seemed that they were having a celebration, a party; it could be the reason why no one was in the house, thought Tonks.

The sky was pitch-dark except for the full moon shining directly above Tonks's head, and the only light came from the empty house. Though nothing she had noticed gave her the idea of what time she was in, Tonks figured she'd take a quick look around the house for a while, just for her to know what year she was in. But when she made to stand up, some voices from down the street where a celebration was taking place started to grow louder, and Tonks's instinct told her to go and hide up in the tree house.

"Blimey, Ryan, your pumpkin basket's heavy!" said a small voice, as Tonks clambered up the ladder against the trunk of the tree. "But I bet mine's heavier!"

"Oh yeah, well I think not," said another small voice defiantly. "Mr. and Mrs. Lewis gave us equal amounts of candy didn't they? Everyone gave us equal amounts of candy, Tim, you're being unreasonable…" The two boys continued arguing as they drew closer to the house, and when they were near enough for Tonks to see through the tree house's small window, she was surprised to see _three_, not two boys, heading for the house. The boy named Ryan was wearing a Muggle superhero's costume, which Tonks recognized as _Superman _and the boy called Tim wore ragged clothes and his skin and face had been deliberately put with a green and black kind of make-up, making him look like a miniature zombie. The third boy (the one who'd been silent the whole time) had-- in Tonks's opinion-- the costume that stood out the most: sparkling blue wizard's robes and a starry hat slightly huge to fit the boy's head perfectly; he even held a wand in his hand and a pumpkin basket in the other ….

"Oy, Remus, say something!" said Tim to the silent boy, as they reached the gate of the house. "Will you try weighing our baskets for us-- I really think mine's a bit heavier--"

"Whatever," Ryan snapped. Then he turned to face Remus. "Are you okay?"

At this, the silent boy named Remus cracked a smile. "Yeah… I just have a bit of stomach ache right now; I must've eaten too much candy…"

"Oh okay," said Ryan. "Well, here's your house now--"

"You haven't weighed our baskets yet!" said Tim angrily.

"I'll weigh it tomorrow," said Remus. "If you really want to, I mean." Remus and Ryan laughed, watching Tim, who looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Well… I think we'll just see who's got the heavier basket next year then. I'm dying to eat these sweets!" The three boys laughed before saying their goodbyes to each other. Tim and Ryan set off back to where they came from, and disappeared again down the street. Remus pushed open the gate and went in, looking pleased with himself and all the candies he had managed to collect.

If Tonks wasn't mistaken, she was watching Remus-- Remus John Lupin as a boy, an innocent boy who would grow up as someone who'd make her fall in love with him. She couldn't believe that Remus had been a boy too, a boy who didn't think of anything too analytical and deep and mysterious; in the present, everything they seemed to talk about was about the war, and all the other problems in their lives, whereas tonight, it was merely all about having stomach aches from eating too much candy. She beamed from inside the dark tree house, gazing as Remus, who was handsome even from a distance, made his way to the house.

But a rustle in a bush both made Tonks and Remus jump; Tonks had risen and hit her head on the tree house ceiling, while Remus stiffened and looked warily around him.

"H-hello? Anyone t-there?" Tonks heard Remus say as she rubbed her head soothingly, too busy cursing the ceiling to look back out of the window. There was silence, and just when Tonks had thought that young Remus had already gone inside the house--

"AAAAAAAH!" It was a terrified yell from Remus, something Tonks had never heard before. It was eerie and it sent shivers down her skin, and as she scrambled to kneel and look out of the window again, she heard it again, but this time it was accompanied by a ferocious growl and a howl.

It was too late to back out now-- with Tonks's head sticking out the tree house window, she watched in horror as the enormous werewolf advanced upon Remus, his sparkling robes soaked in red and in pieces now. Remus had shielded his face with his arms, but he was helpless--

"MUM! DAD!" Remus's yells were desperate now, and there was an obvious note of fear in his strangled voice. Tonks couldn't look away and her mind was filled with nothing but horror, her eyes filling with tears as she watched the bloody scene. "N-n-no… Remus, no…."

Just as suddenly as Remus had called, a shadow appeared from inside the house, and a moment later, Tonks saw a tall woman with light brown hair hurry outside on the porch, and upon seeing the scene, screamed, "J-John! H-he's here! He's got Remus, John!" The woman, who turned out to be Remus's mother, clearly had left her wand (that is, if she owned a wand) inside the house, and she could only watch the scene through tear-stained eyes, not wanting to get near the werewolf ripping at her son; the savage beast ignored the woman, only glancing once at her before turning back to claw at Remus's thin frame.

A second later the front door burst open and John Lupin emerged beside his wife, panting. "You get away from my son!" he yelled. "PROTEGO!" The great force issued from John's wand and a great cloudy barrier materialized between the werewolf and Remus, who was barely recognizable as he was covered in tattered robes and drenched in his blood. The werewolf scrambled away from the house, growling, and disappeared. At this, John Lupin and his wife ran to their son; both of them were crying as they carried the lifeless body of Remus into the house.

Rooted to the spot, Tonks was still staring at the place where Remus had been attacked but barely seeing anything but the tears that fell from her eyes. Somehow she felt responsible for the tragedy that had befallen the Lupins, and as she sat back down onto the floor of the tree house (for she could not stand to look at anything that would remind her of _it_), she felt everything crashing down around her, as though she were one of them… _the strong foundation of the Lupin family, the bright disposition of Remus, the _normal_ life_-- _it was all gone now_.

There was silence. The party down the street seemed to have ended now; not even the rustling leaves dared to make a sound. Tonks hugged her knees together and buried her face beneath it. She was sobbing, but even as she tried to restrain the tears, it only made her breathing difficult. Somehow, although no one knew she had been here tonight, she knew it was her fault. Tonks had nothing to back her theory up, but being the stubborn woman that she is, she knew that she was to blame herself for everything.

If only she hadn't been too busy swearing at the bloody ceiling, she could've seen the monster approaching… she could've done a Shield Charm as soon as the werewolf had tried to attack…. If only she wasn't overcome by shock… _surely she could've saved him_….

But in the back of Tonks's mind, she knew that she wouldn't do anything… She knew, that if she took part in anything that might change anyone else's future, that hers would change too… _And imagining her future without Remus was just so hard for her to bear_….

With sweating and shaking hands and tears streaming down her pale cheeks, Tonks took the Time-Turner in her hands and whispered, "I wanna disappear now… _please_…."

She spun the hourglass and let it twirl around in her palm, until slowly, she vanished.

_To Be Continued…_

XxX

**A/N:** Please review, guys! Let us do unto others what we want others to do unto us. So… yup, exactly, REVIEW! It's not that hard to do, is it?

Well anyway, how did you like it? Basically Tonks ended up in the year 1966, when Remus was six years old, and unfortunately, she had to witness the night when he was attacked by a werewolf, therefore becoming a werewolf himself in the future. I already have an idea where Tonks might end up next, and it's bound to be much lighter and less hurtful than this chapter (poor Remus!)….

Again, I cannot promise a quick update for the next chapter (although this one was pretty quick for me), due to insanely wacky things going on at school lately; hopefully you'll stick out with this fic, and review (just at least tell me whether my writing sucks or not).

Thanks a million, people.


	3. Frozen Sheet of Ice

**A/N:**It's me, updating! Yeah, so I'm really trying to update as quick as I can while managing to keep up with the murderous (and stupendously draining) workload in school and being able to give you the best continuation for the previous chapter that I can, so I dearly hope y'all enjoy this one.

Actually, it's been really hard to finish this chapter. First, many requirements are asked from us by the very evil teachers, and I'm really trying my best to give the best outputs that I can… Second, giving my utmost best in all the projects, reports, and all other laborious work tires me a lot, and so I spend my free time trying to get as much sleep as I used to get back in the summer. Third, of course, I also gave time to think about how best to write this chapter-- so it would be as good as the others too.

Again, I'm so very sorry for the delay. :(

Gah, let me stop blabbering! Here's the much awaited Chapter 3.

**When Time-Turners Go Haywire**

_A__n RLNT fanfic, AU _

3: Frozen Sheet of Ice

XxX

Tonks felt the nauseating feeling come upon her again, so she shut her reddened eyelids tight, the tears still out of her control. Her head was heavy and she was weak; she could feel the whole universe spinning around her, tears raced down her cheeks, she had no idea where she would end up next (though she badly missed Grimmauld Place even though she normally didn't), she didn't know how long she would be time-traveling like this, but all she could do was to hold on tight to the Time-Turner, as a Christian Muggle would do to a Rosary while praying fervently.

Unlike the first time she had vanished like this (wherein she had ended on the Lupins' house and witnessed something she wished she hadn't), this trip seemed to take forever. It was mocking her, adding to the guilt she was already feeling, like it was telling her how it was all her fault why things had gone so terribly wrong… _it was_ _all her fault_….

The next thing Tonks knew, she was freezing and lying on an ice-cold layer of dark glass. She tried to sit up but she was literally shivering from head to foot, like someone having a seizure. What's worse, it was dark and she had no idea where and when she was in.

"Help!" she screamed, but her voice was drowned by the howling wind around her and all that came out of her lips was fog. Tonks suddenly realized where she lay and she felt her heart skip a beat: she had materialized right on top of a frozen lake, or river, or ocean (she couldn't tell how vast the body of water was), and any movement she made might lead to her untimely death: she fumbled for the Time-Turner and spun it clumsily, but she remained on top of the glassy surface (why did the Time-Turner not work according to her favor?-- but it was a Dark object, she noted); she didn't dare create another move to get to her wand-- for if this made the ice crack and break, no one would ever see her return to work, to her family, to Sirius, the Weasleys, the Order, and _Remus_….

But that wasn't her only problem: if she didn't move, she'd be stuck there, in the frosty evening, the wind blowing in all directions, coating her hair with snowflakes, wrapping her body in white bits of ice flakes; whether she moved or not, she knew she'd be dying sooner or later. And so the tears that had stopped momentarily from falling came again, and all Tonks could do was wrap her knees with her arms and wished that this had merely been a terrible nightmare…

"Hey," called a hoarse voice from a distance. "What the…"

"Help me," muttered Tonks through her violently chattering teeth. Her lips were covered in snow and just the same as what had happened earlier; only fog came out of her lips.

"Wait there!" yelled the hoarse voice, suddenly realizing Tonks' situation. "Don't move!" Tonks lay freezing on top of the ice, hoping immensely that she would get out of this situation alive, now that someone has come to her aid.

It had been a minute or two of desperation when gloved hands grabbed Tonks by the arms and pulled her up. She leaned against this kind stranger, wheezing. "It's okay now, let's get going--"

The stranger stopped in mid-sentence when an unmistakable cracking sound interrupted him. The stranger looked down nervously at his feet and saw a long crooked line in the frozen water and before the ice gave way to the dangerously freezing water, he had grabbed Tonks and pressed her against him, not wanting to let go.

Then the ice cracked into a million other pieces-- Tonks screamed into the stranger's snow-covered coat; she and the stranger had fallen.

XxX

Tonks looked around. She was in a forest, surrounded by many lush green trees. It was warm, and she wondered why it was so, when she slightly remembered dying because of the cold. _Was_ _this where dead people (or spirits) end up? _Tonks wondered.

Suddenly she saw a little boy sitting at her feet. She hadn't noticed him before, but Tonks smiled lightly still, for the boy's presence seemed to have removed the burden in her chest, merely being by her side.

"Wotcher, kiddo," said Tonks cheerfully. Believing she was already dead, she was strangely happy-- at least, she has another _dead_ person beside her; at least she wasn't alone. "C'mon, why don't you stand up and let's walk around together."

The boy didn't look at Tonks, but he replied, "You killed me."

"W-what?" stammered Tonks, aghast and paled by the boy's answer.

But the boy didn't answer back anymore, for a large creature had leaped out from behind one of the trees, grabbed the boy and began lashing greedily at it, ripping it into pieces with his sharp paws and teeth.

"NO!" yelled Tonks. She jumped at the werewolf lapping at the boy, but she merely went through it, just like a ghost. The boy was screaming for help, and Tonks began to cry, for she couldn't do anything else. This death was unimaginable; _was she supposed to relive those moments in her life when she had been filled with sadness and regret?_

Then the werewolf leaped away from the boy, howling maniacally. It ran away, and Tonks immediately knelt before the blood-stained boy, weeping. The boy looked at Tonks and whispered, "It was your fault."

"No-- I couldn't-- h-help--"

"_You killed me!_"

"No! It w-wasn't my f-fault-- forgive me--"

"You destroyed me!" hissed the boy.

"I'm sorry! I w-was s-s-selfish! I-- I--" Tonks was crying as though she's never cried before. She tried to touch the boy, but the boy had touched her first; he grasped her arms quite tightly, until it began to hurt.

"No….," whispered Tonks.

"You need to wake up, miss! Please listen to me!" said a hoarse voice.

"No…."

"Wake up, you're only dreaming!"

Tonks opened her eyes, which were wet. She blinked a few times, and saw that there was no boy, no forest; indeed it was just a dream-- rather, a nightmare. The stranger soothingly rubbed her back as Tonks began crying again. "It's just a dream… forget it," said the stranger gently. But Tonks cried harder, and pulling the unknowing stranger by her side, she leaned into him while sobbing.

"It's okay…" said the stranger to comfort the woman, though there was a hint of uncertainty in his voice. How can there not be, when this woman who was sobbing on his thin, patched shirt was a stranger to him, someone who was peculiar enough to be thrashing around on the bed as she dreamt? And what troubled him the most were these: how did a twenty-something-year-old woman get inside Hogwarts, and position herself to lay on top of a frozen sheet of ice which was the Hogwarts Lake? _Why would she lay on top of the dangerous layer of ice anyway?_

The woman sobbed louder, and the teenage stranger's thoughts were put aside as he figured that there were more pressing matters to deal with.

"I r-really sh-should've--_hic_-- saved--_hic_-- h-him," whispered Tonks onto the stranger's wet shirt, which was seemingly familiar and comfortable. She had reduced her cries by now, but her sobs were replaced by hiccups. "But I--_hic_-- was so--_hic_-- selfish!" A single tear fell from her eyes, but it seemed that all her other tears had dried out already.

"Erm," muttered the stranger, not knowing what he really should say, seeing as he doesn't know what the woman was talking about. His hoarse voice brought Tonks to gaze up at the unknowing stranger, and as she looked up, her mouth hung open and her dark eyes widened; she didn't quite know what the Time-Turner was doing with her life.

"You?" gasped Tonks. "Again?"

"Excuse me--?"

"Oh, Remus!" squealed Tonks. She threw herself at the teenage Remus Lupin and began crying softly again.

Remus Lupin felt like the cold water of the lake must have given him a terrible headache. Questions swam back into his mind, and he felt like it was going to drown him-- it was just too many, and he didn't know a single answer to any of it. Plus, the arms of this strange woman around his neck were choking him-- generally, girls wouldn't want to get five hundred meters near him.

Tonks pulled away, teary-eyed, and upon seeing the look on Remus's face, she smiled despite herself. "Well, of course you don't know me," she giggled. "What was I thinking?"

"Miss, I… you need to tell me what's going on," began Remus. His voice was nervous yet there was a note of authority in it. "As a school prefect, I need to know--"

"--How I got here and why I know you even if you have no idea who the hell I am?" Tonks grinned as she finished Remus's question.

"I suppose, yes."

"Blody hell, I'm in Hogwarts?"

"How do you not know?" asked Remus suspiciously.

"Well, I'm ruddy stupid, you know," said Tonks. "Particularly stupid, mind you… for wearing _this_." And she showed him the dusty golden chain that she wore, from which an hourglass hung lifelessly, seemingly harmless. Remus, being the intelligent young man that he was, recognized the necklace immediately.

"A Time-Turner," he breathed in awe.

"Yep," said Tonks nonchalantly, drying her face with her sleeve. _"Remus, I'm from your future."_

Remus Lupin was staring in avid curiosity at this young woman, as though she knew everything there was to know about everything. He began to understand a little, if not much, about all his worries.

"Seriously?" He breathed once more.

_To Be Continued…_

XxX

**A/N:** After checking, I've just realized that it's been a month and three days since I've posted the second chapter. I'm just very thankful that I was able to finish this chapter, and the only consolations I get from all of these are your reviews.

Please review, pretty, pretty please! I know this chapter was a bit predictable (like you could tell from the beginning that Tonks ended up with Remus again, duh)… but I still think that it's very romantic though. Remus really stuck with Tonks and saved her from dying from the cold and drowning, even though she was a total stranger. I wanted to include the scene about what happened when the two of them fell into the freezing Hogwarts Lake, but I thought it would go off-course if I did. So I decided to just make a one-shot out of it, and for those who are interested to read, I'll just say when I plan to post that particular scene.

**SPECIAL A/N**** (a.k.a. A/N Part 2):**_ And now… the time to give thanks to those who deserved to be thanked._

I really, really (REALLY) appreciate all those who took the time and patience to show their support for this fic. Thank you so much, guys! You deserve some hot, strong, love… from your favorite Harry Potter character. :)

**First, to all those who reviewed this fic so far: **_MrsRemusLupin1_ (who reviewed twice), _somber-quill_ (reviewed once), _TwilightForever93_ (reviewed twice), _Mezzanotte Nera_ (reviewed once), _You Know Who_ (reviewed once), _islay12_ (reviewed once), _amber'eyed'countess_ (reviewed once) and to _Mrsamandamcavoy _(who reviewed once).

**Second, to those who have put this story on their Story Alert list:** MrsRemusLupin1, MudbloodFlo, TwilightForever93, Gryffindor for eva', Queen Flora, Mezzanotte Nera, Lifeclaw, Starla101101, Horsegrad13, amber'eyed'countess, bookwormology101, Essabellia, islay12, Mrsamandamcavoy, wrightie and Zalaril.

**And lastly, to those who have put this story on their Favorites list:** amber'eyed'countess, Mrsamandamcavoy, MrsRemusLupin1 and WickederThanYou.

(Like my last statement in Chapter 2) Thanks a million, people.


	4. So Exquisite

**A/N: **I had been, and still am, very busy, folks! So forgive me for this massive delay of Chapter 4, I hope you've held on long enough to witness this update. Haha. :| Well, I'm sorry-- school, mostly is the cause of this and not forgetting to mention the calamities that have recently struck our country… Fortunately I've been spared and have only been affected indirectly, so to all my fans (yeah, I know there are none. Just kidding.) you can all heave a huge sigh of relief. *wink, wink*

Gah, I think I better shut up now before you run out of patience reading my notes. =D Without further ado, Chapter 4….

**When Time-Turners Go Haywire**

_An RLNT fanfic, AU_

4: So Exquisite

XxX

Sirius Black gracefully stood in front of the drawing room's wooden door, which he himself had opened a moment earlier. His face wasn't as refined as his posture though, for there he stood gaping at the empty drawing room, his gray eyes unbelievingly searching for a pink-haired woman whom he thought was tasked to clean the said room. He stepped tentatively inside when he spotted one of the drawers open and some of the rubbish was still there. Sirius began to suspect that something was not right; how come Tonks left without finishing her chores, let alone not tell him she was leaving?

_"Where is she?"_ thought Sirius.

_Click, click, click_. The clicking sound of the locks on the front door, footsteps making its way inside the house, the slamming of the door and the clicking sound of securing the front door once more were merely distant noises to Sirius. He was too immersed in the mystery of his cousin's disappearance that he hadn't noticed one of the Order's return to the house. Only when a hand clapped him on the shoulder did he jump slightly in surprise and turned to face the person who had brought him out of his reverie.

"Oh it's you," said Sirius, nodding once at Remus Lupin before facing the drawing room again. "How was accompanying Harry and the kids to King's Cross, eh? Where are the others?"

"Nothing fatal occurred, thankfully. I don't think Voldemort would want to attack Harry at a crowded place such as the King's Cross Station," replied Remus while shrugging off his patched cloak. "The rest headed for their work in the Ministry, while Molly said she'll drop by the Burrow to get some vegetables in her garden that she'll cook here, for lunch. What're you staring at in there anyway?" he asked, taking a short look inside the drawing room before turning back to Sirius.

"Don't you find it weird that Tonks would just disappear, leaving this mess Molly asked her to sort out? And she didn't even tell me she was leaving…." Sirius mused.

Now it was Remus's turn to stare at the empty drawing room, wondering the exact same thing that was bothering his best friend. "You have a point," said Remus slowly. _"Where is she?"_

XxX

"Why did you go here? I mean… in this time?" asked Remus. "Do you need to do something, see someone-- wait-- shouldn't anybody see you?"

"I didn't exactly plan this trip, Remus. Things just didn't turn out the way I expected them to, add my clumsiness and recklessness to it, and voila… _lost_."

"What do you mean? It sounds to me like you've found a Time-Turner lying around and you were fascinated by it--"

"Exactly!" squealed Tonks, the rush of adrenaline overwhelming her. "But I didn't expect it to backfire like this; I should've known better, I mean it was a Black family heirloom after all!"

"A Black family heirloom?" repeated Remus. "You know any Blacks, then?"

Tonks realized what she had been blabbering about and quickly clapped her hands to her mouth, as if that would change what Remus already heard. The blush crept up to her face as Remus continued to examine her.

"So it is a 'yes'," stated Remus matter-of-factly. "You know Sirius, don't you?"

"Of course not!" Tonks mumbled through her hands. "Why in the world would I know someone named Sirius, and why-- no, absolutely--!" Tonks' face was as red as a tomato by now; she took the hourglass into her hands and spun it desperately, to no avail. "Not again!" she cursed, glaring at the hourglass. Then turning hopelessly to Remus she sighed, "I knew you'd be like this. You'll be asking questions." She slowly buried her hand inside her jeans pocket, gave a small sigh of relief when she found her wand still there, and grasped it tightly.

"What's wrong with that? I'm supposed to ask questions, aren't I? You're not from here, you know me yet I don't know you--"

"Yes, I know you had to ask-- but asking about _your future_ is definitely another issue, I can't let you get away with that!" Tonks said frantically. "I guess I'll just have to…" She pulled out her wand, breathed deeply, and suddenly looking at Remus with a grim look on her face, she whispered, with much conviction-- pointing her wand straight at Remus, "Oblivi--"

"NO!"

He had known it was what she would do. Strangely enough, Remus felt that Tonks would try to erase his memory, but it didn't matter how he knew-- all that mattered was that she didn't succeed in doing it. Remus had grabbed Tonks' wrists with one slender hand-- gripped it so tight that Tonks retorted in pain-- and yanked her wand out of reach with his other hand. His strength was unbelievably powerful, considering his thin frame, peaky appearance and the fact that he was merely fifteen or sixteen years old. "Sorry," he chuckled triumphantly, releasing Tonks. Remus stood and leaned back against the wall opposite Tonks, twirling her wand as she watched in frustration.

"Look, I just want to help you--" he began, sounding apologetic.

"Stealing my wand is your idea of helping me?" interrupted Tonks, a little rudely. She didn't care if this was the Remus she loved in the future; what he did was just unforgivable at the moment.

"Well, don't call this stealing-- I'll be returning it, okay? Just don't _Obliviate_ me, please." Remus wasn't smiling anymore as he took small steps back to Tonks. When he was a feet away, he held out his hand with Tonks' wand in his palm. "Here."

Ashamed by her previous behavior, Tonks stumbled right in front of Remus, stiffly reclaiming her wand from him. "Th-thanks," she mumbled. She was far too impressed with Remus' generally kind behavior at such a young age considering all that he'd gone through since he was a child, and that only made her love him more unconditionally and wholeheartedly; she even imagined her heart bursting with all the love she already had for him by now.

"It's nothing," said Remus pleasantly. "Er-- can I ask you something?"

"Yeah, go ahead," replied Tonks breathlessly.

"Oh, okay," said Remus, sounding slightly surprised. He must've thought Tonks would start on him again. "Erm--may I know your name, miss?" He held out his hand and added, as if Tonks didn't already know, "I'm Remus Lupin, by the way."

Tonks laughed at this gesture, but shook Remus's hand anyway. "It's nice to meet you, Remus. I'm _Nym_-- Dora." _Good thing I hadn't said Nymphadora or I would've choked right here_, thought Tonks.

She'd have wanted him to call her _Tonks_, however, she figured the name would be familiar to him because it was during this period of time that her mum, Andromeda, married her dad, Ted Tonks; Tonks didn't want to give away the fact that she was their daughter. It was also because of the older Remus' discovery of her nickname approximately a month ago (when Sirius let slip that Andromeda calls her Dora at home) and when he started using it to call her (and sometimes to annoy her too) that she realized it didn't sound too bad after all. It sounded so exquisite with the way Remus said it-- so exquisite it was that it made Tonks feel like she was a princess of some perfectly-imagined kingdom far away.

Remus grinned, withdrawing his hand from Tonks'. "It's nice to meet you, Dora," he said, which made Tonks smile dreamily at him. "May I just ask… how you met me, in the future?"

Tonks stared at him warningly.

"Oh fine, I can't even ask that question--" he complained, which was unlikely of him to do.

"I'm not supposed to alter your future! But if I tell you what's going to happen and what's already happened I'd be--"

"I just don't know what to think anymore, okay?" said Remus stressfully. "I come across you, a total stranger-- turns out you're from the future and you even know me-- but I feel helpless merely taking all of this in. I'm confused, I really am-- I'm sorry…." He sat on the bed, his shoulders hunched.

And there went Tonks' defense wall, crashing down upon her: how could she not resist Remus when he humbled himself like that?

"Fine," sighed Tonks. She sat on the bed beside him. "Here goes…," she said gravely, closing her eyes, unwilling to open them till she's finished talking. "I'm-- I'm an Auror, I work at the Ministry of Magic-- I-- I'm a Metamorphmagus too, I'm an only child I-- I studied at Hogwarts too, I was in Hufflepuff, I-- I don't know what other _safe_ things to say!" Tonks had been talking too fast, stuttering. Her eyes were still closed, still afraid of what she might let slip to Remus.

"It's all right, thanks for-- well, thanks for sharing a bit… about yourself." Remus rubbed Tonks' arm soothingly, and as Tonks slowly opened her eyes she found Remus' face inches from hers, watching her worriedly. "I'm sorry, Dora. I shouldn't have harassed you like that, you were right--"

"Yes, I do know Sirius," blurted Tonks, seemingly hypnotized as she continued to stare at Remus. She just couldn't resist him; no matter how she tried, nothing happened….

"Oh?" Remus was clearly surprised at this sudden revelation. "Blimey, that's… erm…" He turned away and inhaled deeply, unsure of what to say next.

Both of them were silent, each one preoccupied with thoughts about one another.

_Wow__… she knows Sirius! Should I ask her if she knows James and Peter, too?_

_What in the world's gotten into me? Why am I telling him things when I'm not supposed to?_

_I wish she could tell me everything…._

_Would he think I'm mad if I came right at him and snogged him?_

"Dora?" said Remus, breaking the silence. "Are you okay? You still must be a bit dizzy," said Remus, seeing the dreamy gaze on Tonks' face.

"Oh no, I'm fine," said Tonks offhandedly. Remus, however, seemed unconvinced.

"Are you sure about that?" He leaned over to face her again, and inches away from Tonks' face, he looked intently into her dark eyes... he only just noticed how tantalizing Dora's dark eyes were…. Tonks just about melted when Remus peered at her, his light brown eyes seemingly like crystalline gemstones. "Yep, totally," she answered lightly, unable to breath normally now.

Then the urge to do something irresponsible sprang like a mushroom that grew out of nowhere.

Remus had touched her face as serenely as he could; it was all he'd wanted to do in the first place although he had not the slightest idea why, but what he'd done gave Tonks the go signal to do what she'd been so tempted to act upon as well...

Lifting her head up an inch and using her hands to pull Remus down by the neck, Tonks pressed her lips to Remus' and he moaned loudly, but didn't budge. Tonks smiled despite herself but didn't let go and soon enough Remus leaned on her forehead, smiling awkwardly too, against her lips.

A loud grumbling sound from between Remus and Tonks forced the two apart; they pulled away reluctantly, both gasping for breath. "What was that?" asked Remus warily.

Tonks giggled. "That was my stomach-- I forgot to mention how starved I am--"

"Dora-- bloody hell, I--! I'm sorry, I didn't even ask if you were hungry--" said Remus apologetically, which was silenced at once with a quick kiss from Tonks.

"It's okay," she laughed. "I think I could handle this one--"

"Rubbish," interjected Remus, a smug look on his face. "I haven't told you, but… we're in the Room of Requirement," he said simply. Remus met Tonks' eyes, and they both understood.

"Oh, why didn't you say so?" said Tonks airily. Both of them laughed.

"Well… what're you waiting for?" said Remus, after they had tired themselves of laughing. "What would you like to eat, Dora? Ask away…."

_To Be Continued…_

XxX

**A/N:** Oh, damn. Finally, I finished this! Finally, finally, finally. Wow.

Read and Review, dears. Those who do will be granted the courage to grab either Remus or Tonks and just snog them…. :) And as Remus said: _Well… what're you waiting for?_

My last statement, as always: Thanks a million, people.


	5. Rescue

**A/N:** Hey, y'all. It's me updating.

_What-- updating, you ask?_ Yup, you heard right. You probably don't remember when I last updated (so do I), but all that matters is that I'm actually post something now. Yay.

Well let me apologize for not having been able to update. For the past few weeks I kept blaming something we all call writer's block, but as I type this, I realize I've only become lazier than I already am. So sorry if my laziness made you lose all of your patience. But aside from being a total sloth, I've also been slammed with intense pressure in school, with all the requirements we have to pass, projects to do… *sigh*, I'm glad it's all slowing down for me now-- I'm relaxing again!

Another reason why I've no time to update is… _Glee_. Yes, the TV series. I've only been hooked up on it now that I'm not that busy anymore; it entertains me a lot, and it's a very useful distraction from everything that stresses me out, like this fanfic apparently.

**A/N**** 2:** Okay, I know you're all just pissed off by this very long Author's Note (which has an additionally annoying second part-- this one), so I won't say anything else, just this: Thank God I've Updated.

**When Time-Turners Go Haywire**

_An RLNT fanfic, AU_

5: Rescue 

XxX

_"Well… what're you waiting for?" said Remus, after they had tired themselves of laughing. "What would you like to eat, Dora? Ask away…."_

While the teenage Remus Lupin and the present-day Tonks were quite enjoying themselves in the unusual past, present-day Sirius Black and Remus Lupin were becoming distressed, trying desperately to explain Tonks' disappearance.

"Where on earth is she?"

"Are you sure you didn't hear her slip out the door?"

"No, of course not! She'd have to trip by that nasty troll's leg before she could leave!"

"Fair point, Padfoot," Remus mused.

"I just don't understand how she's disappeared like that… has she suddenly cured herself of her clumsiness?" Sirius chuckled.

"No, that's not it--" interrupted Remus, who found Sirius' joke untimely. "She would've told you she was leaving, and you know she wouldn't leave the drawing room a mess when Molly's told her to clean it up…"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying… _I think I know what's going on here_." And with one last look at Sirius, Remus turned on his heel and strode out the door.

"Hey, Remus!" called Sirius as the door slammed shut; a second later, Sirius' mother's portrait started screaming. "Great, Moony, just great! You don't tell me what's going on and you leave me with this mess to fix?"

XxX

_Back in the year 1976…._

"So you're currently in your sixth year," said Tonks. "And a prefect? Blimey… but I'm not quite surprised about that bit," she added, laughing lightly.

"Why?" asked Remus.

"Well, in my present… let's just say you'll turn out to be a very good man."

Remus laughed darkly. "No kidding? I am a werewolf, and you're telling me I'll turn out just fine in the future?"

Tonks rolled her eyes at him. "And here you are again, belittling yourself. Seriously, those things don't work out with me anymore; you've got to stop being too modest--"

"I'm just telling the truth--"

"Let me tell you something, Prefect Lupin-- just because you're a werewolf doesn't mean you have to be mean like most of them are!" Tonks closed the gap between them on the carpeted floor where they sat. "Stop stereotyping, please. Trust me…" Tonks held out her hand and stroked Remus' cheek. "You'll be one of the kindest people I'll be encountering."

Remus looked up, met Tonks' dark eyes watching him and knew at once he just had to believe what she has said.

"Thank you, Dora."

"No problem, Remus," said Tonks.

"Speaking of problems…," began Remus. "How are you supposed to solve your problem of getting back to your time? I mean in your present, in my future…."

"Hmmm… honestly," muttered Tonks. "I don't know where this Time-Turner will bring me next, seems like it's got a mind of its own."

"Okay," said Remus, slightly startled by this information. "I think it would be better if you took that off, at least for now." He gently reached out and slowly took off the chain around Tonks' neck.

"Why didn't I think of that?" Tonks suddenly said, giggling.

"I have no idea," replied Remus, laughing. He set the Time-Turner on top of a table next to him. "Well, at least you won't be going anywhere else soon."

"And that's what you want, don't you?" Tonks giggled and leaned to plant a faint kiss on Remus' lips.

"Yes," he confessed laughingly. "I'd rather you stay here with a potentially dangerous werewolf than accidentally transport yourself into the dinosaurs' era."

The laughter of his younger self and the present-day Tonks still rang in the ears of Remus Lupin, as he recalled his encounter which happened almost two decades ago.

XxX

It was dawning on Remus now.

As he sat in one of Minerva McGonagall's armchairs, waiting anxiously for his colleague to arrive from a staff meeting, Remus figured the puzzle pieces to fit perfectly with each other. He knew what was happening, and knew what he had to do-- hence there he was, waiting for Minerva McGonagall in her office at Hogwarts.

Five minutes later and an astounded McGonagall entered her office, her eyes slightly bulging at the sight of Remus. She immediately shut the door of her office and stepped forward urgently.

"Lupin, you know it is much more advisable to communicate via Patronus--"

"No, I had to see you personally," said Remus as he stood up.

"Why--"

"I need to know the password to Dumbledore's study."

"Is it that urgent that you had to come over here to ask me this personally--"

"Yes."

"And what do you need it for--?"

"I'm sorry but this matter is between Dumbledore and I."

"I'm afraid to say but I--"

"Please, Minerva, I need that password--"

"Let me say this, Remus, but I do not appreciate the way you've been cutting my sentences short," said McGonagall heatedly.

"I'm really sorry… Minerva, pardon me, I didn't mean to act that way."

"Very well," nodded McGonagall. "His password-- _bubbly dip_. But mind you, Remus--"

"Thanks very much, Minerva!" Remus leapt to his feet and rushed outside. "I owe you my life for this!"

"Remus, wait!" called McGonagall, but Remus had gone. "Professor Dumbledore is not in his office!" she added-- but to no use.

XxX

Panting for air, Remus stood in front of the gargoyle that guarded the passageway towards Dumbledore's study. "What are you standing here for, eh? Do you know the password?" grunted the gargoyle.

"Yeah," gasped Remus. "Bubbly dip," he said, and as soon as the way cleared for him he rushed inside without stopping.

"Professor Dumbledore?" Remus knocked continuously as he called. But there was no reply, only silence. He grabbed the door knob and turned; with a click, it slowly opened itself and Remus took a cautious step forward. "Sir?"

There was a ringing silence as he moved inside and shut the door behind him. Turns out that Dumbledore wasn't in-- something Remus should've known had he not cut Minerva McGonagall's sentences short when she called for him. Looking around, Remus realized that there was no backing out just because Dumbledore wasn't there to help him with what he was planning to do. He knew he had to take the matter into his own hands, and that he will do-- even if it meant prying, and possibly... stealing.

Well, consider it as _borrowing_, Remus thought, and with that he began to search through the wide range of magical instruments in Albus Dumbledore's office, hoping to find what he was looking for.

Remus scanned through shelves and drawers, but there was nothing. Until he came across one large cabinet, the cabinet he hadn't noticed as it was in the corner of Dumbledore's office, obscured by the dim light. It was his final chance-- he had to find it here, he just had to….

With the cabinet door wide open, Remus greedily ran his hands over the objects, feeling them, scanning his eyes for the object he needed. Over and over he repeated the procedure, making sure he hadn't overlooked anything, and sure enough there it was-- Remus narrowed his eyes and confirmed that he had indeed found it.

_At last, the Time-Turner was now in Remus's hands. _

Breathing heavily, Remus Lupin carefully wore the necklace around his neck and whispered, "Don't worry, Tonks… I'm bringing you back." He clutched the hourglass and spun it nineteen times. "1976, I'll be there," and in a blink, he was gone.

XxX

Remus blinked awkwardly for a bright light was keeping him from seeing clearly-- it felt warm on his skin, but it irked him that he was forced to narrow his eyes to prevent the sunlight from blinding him.

"Where am I?" Remus whispered to himself. He realized he had been lying on something slightly bristly-- grass. He quickly sat up and paled after seeing that he hadn't ended up in Hogwarts, nor did he end up in a grassy field (which he thought when he realized he was lying on grass). For the ground wasn't purely grass; there were gray square stones lying equally apart from each other in an orderly manner, set against the green grass where Remus found himself lying.

_"What am I doing in a graveyard?"_

He propped himself to get up on his feet, and began to walk through the empty graveyard. Remus felt safe for there were no people who might see him, but he felt uneasy as well, wondering what year he'd ended up in. As he cautiously paced through the gravestones, he paled once more when the date of death of a man named William Carter caught his eye:

_Date of Death: January 12, _2014

Remus understood now-- and he understood that rescuing Tonks from 1976 wasn't as easy as he'd thought, especially when you could possibly be in the year 2014, or some time past that year. He frustratingly bit his lip as he walked past, but stopped dead when he saw two familiar figures a few meters away from him. Remus Disillusioned himself and slowly crept to the two women, until he was near enough to see and hear them, but far enough so that they would not feel his presence.

Familiar women they were-- the first was an aging woman, nearing her 70's, but looking strong-willed and determined. Andromeda Tonks wrapped one arm around her companion's shoulder, and Remus' heart gave a small leap of joy as he acknowledged who the other woman was.

_Still looking lovely_, Remus thought; Nymphadora Tonks, who looked like she was in her early 40's, leaned against her mother and together they looked down at the gravestone before them. And as suddenly as Remus' heart leapt, it swiftly sank down disturbingly to his stomach when Tonks burst into tears and hugged her mother.

"Why _him_, mum?" mumbled Tonks, and Remus froze. Somehow it struck him that the dead person was male… Was it possible that it was him underneath that gravestone? He shivered, and ignored the thought.

"He was a good man," said Andromeda. "I just wish I was able to spend more time with him." The two stood there for a few more minutes before they left, still unaware that Remus was with them.

Remus couldn't help but think that it was him that had died. As much as he tried to ignore it, he couldn't-- his mind had so much power over him right now. All he wanted was to know whose gravestone it was, to clear his mind and calm him.

_But what would he do if he saw his name on it?_

"I don't care," he breathed deeply. He strode over to the spot where Andromeda and Tonks stood and bent down….

A thousand arrows seemingly struck his heart once he laid his eyes on the stone, and the name etched upon it.

"No," he exhaled loudly. His eyes remained fixed on the name in the gravestone… Remus felt he needed to be alone here for a while.

_To Be Continued…_

XxX

**A/N:** Wanna party with me? Be my guest-- I'm just so relieved I actually got to finish this chapter! I thought I'd never get a move on, but I did-- so that's just great. Feel free to celebrate with me for your long wait's now over.

But I advise you not to party completely; there's no guarantee after all that I'd be easily updating the next chapter, although I already have some pretty good ideas for chapter 6, so I'm pretty excited to get started on it.

READ and REVIEW, guys! Please, I'd really like to know what you think about this, with the whole Remus-rescues-Tonks situation, and the fact that he gets lost himself, too. And I'd like to know who your guesses are for the unknown dead male who owns the gravestone.

_Who do you think is the man buried there, eh__-- and why did Tonks have to cry for him like that?_ Or if you have a suggestion, you could choose who you'd like to be buried down there, haha.

And the password-- _bubbly dip_-- just something random I thought of on the spot. Pardon me if it's lousy.

Apparently, Remus thinks the only way to save Tonks is to follow her into the past. Mmm... okay, I guess.

**A/N 2:** *sigh* Thank you, thank you so much for those who stuck with me-- I know your patience is at an extreme low right now and you've probably forgotten what my fic is really all about (well, go ahead and read the previous chapters then) but I know you readers are still out there. Review this one, all right? At least, this one. :]

To step up-- thanks a _billion_, people. Peace.

XxX


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